Resume Outline
Occupation - 3 points
Position on Issue - 7 points
List of reasons for interest in topic - 6 points
MLA formatted references - 4 points
TOTAL - 20 points

Commodore George Dewey

Stance: Anti-Imperialist

Occupation: George Dewey, who attended the Norwich Military School, was employed by the United States' Navy as a Commodore. In his list of great accomplishments lies the American triumph over the Spaniards in the Battle of Manila where the Americans fought with a smaller number of warships and suffered only one casualty.

Position: George Dewey, a military idol, was against the Annexation of the Philippines into the United States. His viewpoints of the situation were very cynical for he anticipated a full-fledged war should the Americans forcefully annex the Philippine island into America. Many of the well-educated leaders of the government and economy felt the same way as Dewey. In fact, he believes that the entire debacle was an "occasion for a triumph of statesmanship rather than of arms." This means that if American powers forcefully annexed the hostile Filipinos into America, they would ultimately fail, but if coerced by reasoning, the consequences may not be severe.

Reasons of Interest: A few reasons why Commodore George Dewey may hold an interest in the annexation of the Philippines into the United States are 1) Dewey was a Navy Official; If the American government wanted to risk a war with the Filipinos immediately after the Spanish-American War, Dewey would have to take part in the battles in either command or combat. 2) Dewey was concerned about the well-being of his countrymen; Obviously, if a war were to break out, the citizens of the United States would be in danger. And, 3) Commodore Dewey was also in poor health; if he could not operate to his fullest ability, he would not be able to protect his men or lead efficiently. Unfortunately, he could not fight in a war that would outburst as soon as the hostility of the Filipinos crashed to the shores of the American beaches.

References:
  • William McKinley-awarded Dewey with the promotion to admiral of the Navy.
  • Andrew Carnegie-against the annexation of the Philippines, just like Commodore Dewey.
  • Moorfield Storey-feverishly fought against despotism which seemed like a viable issue to face if one pondered the situation. Dewey also analyzed the topic and decided that Imperialism was not the path to follow.

Bibliography:


Cowles Magazine. "Our First Southeast Asian War." american history illustrated Jan. - Feb. 1990: 19-30. Print.

Dewey, George. Autobiography of George Dewey: admiral of the navy.. New York: Scribner, 1913. Print.

"George Dewey - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Wikimedia, n.d. Web. 8 Nov. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Dewey>.

McKinley, William. "Annals of American History." Annals of American History. Britannica, n.d. Web. 8 Nov. 2011. <http://america.eb.com/america/article?articleId=386519>.